Uveitis

Just as your knee or elbow can become inflamed, so can your eye.  Uveitis is a name for several types of inflammation of the inner part of the eye, often causing impaired vision. It is not a single disease, but a collective term referring to many different conditions within the eye.  '-Itis' means inflammation; therefore, uveitis means inflammation of any part of the uvea (iris, choroid or ciliary body). Uveitis can be controlled with early treatment, but if left untreated may cause serious problems and sight loss. There are different types of uveitis and there can be many different causes. It is very important to know which type you have.  This is because the symptoms, causes and treatment may be completely different.  There are many possible causes of uveitis, such as autoimmune disease, infection, trauma, surgery, or an associated medical condition (such as ulcerative colitis or sarcoidosis).  Often, there is no underlying cause, but a workup may still be done to rule out any systemic causes.